Global Warming Perhaps?

After reporting on my glacial speed, sewing my VQR blocks... I am pleased to report there has been a bit of a surge in productivity. 

My tilted star block.  You'll be interested to know that each star point section is identically paper pieced, and then attached to the central square using a partial seam.  Very clever.  This block still have the paper on the back which somewhat explains the ripple effect...

OK - this block looks way complicated... but kinda cool.  This had paper pieced sections added onto the central cross.  Of course, there may be someone who constructed their one a bit different from the instructions.

And just out of interest, this is Monika's block (on top) and my block (underneath) just to illustrate how the secondary pattern looks.  Even with completely different colour placement you can see how it combines to create this sort of nine patch in the block intersections.  Wouldn't this be an ideal scrap buster?  [To be honest I think sewing those blocks together would probably make me shit my pants go insane.  This is probably the best thing about sewing a sampler - you never have to worry about sewing multiples of the blocks together.]

And this is the project in the book using the same block with much simpler colour placement.  [Although I do wonder if you couldn't achieve the same look with a much easier block.]

I got this block finished.  I must admit to thinking this was a somewhat weird block.
 

Now that I've sewn it - I have changed my mind and am growing to love it.  Might just be the green fabrics with that lovely soft grey...

And this is the quilt project in the book.  I don't know... it still looks kinda weird.  This layout had a slightly different colour in the second-fourth columns... but looking at it together, I think you could have fun with the greater scheme of things, and how the design creates larger squares, maybe creating some kind of overlapping colour illusion.  Sounds technical - I think I'll just stick with the green block I've made.

In other news, I spent a great morning with my old Friday patchwork ladies... and spent some time hand quilting on my Constellations quilt.  Man, a week later and my hands have only just finished aching... which makes me wonder about the hand pains I was experiencing early last year, when I even got to the point of having x-rays to check whether I had arthritis in my hands.  I suppose one good point of not doing a lot of sewing is that my hands have been a lot less achey.

OK, I think that brings me up to date.  Hope you have enjoyed the progress...

In which I am feeling rather good about quite a lot of things.

Progress in the sewing department is proceeding with almost glacial speed... but progress is progress... and it is all good.

We are now on day three of the Term Two school holidays.  Monday felt like ground hog day with the car going into the panelbeaters first thing in the morning.  Remember, last holidays was spent mostly carless due to the panel repairs needed after a close encounter with a hare.  After a few problems, and ten weeks of pestering the panel repair man, Tuesday afternoon we were back to pick up our nice and newly painted car.  Whew, I am glad to get that out of my hair. 

Monday afternoon I spent some time on EQ7 to draft up "that block" from my VQR sampler... the paper pieced one that was giving me dramas.  Happy to report it worked out fine - it is a dream to piece... and even ends up being somewhere around the right size... well, with the right amount of easing/ironing.

So we have my pieced version...

And Monika's paper pieced version.  Looks pretty much the same huh?  Although you can just see the four patch piecing seams through the centre on Monika's version.

Monika has snuck ahead yet again... or from the other point of view, I have fallen behind... and she has finished up this terrific star block.

I have two more blocks that I want to concentrate on over the holidays and then I will almost be caught up.

And the blocks starting to fill up the design wall.  I am going for a 6x6 layout, so really, still heaps to go.

After some retail therapy over the last couple of weeks, I am feeling really quite good about so many areas of my life.  After my hubby broke his wedding band, it was nice over the weekend to find a new replacement one that we both really liked.  We also located an occasional chair to add to our small lounge seating area (so that the kids can be separated on opposite sides of the room if necessary).  With a new chair as inspiration, I was lucky to track down some new cushions which just happened to be 60% off on special - so bonus!  I do enjoy decorating but have found between the kids and dog sometimes it is just more effort than it is worth.  As an extra bonus the lounge has actually had a decent clean up, so it is looking really good too.  Specials meant that the kids splurged on new polar fleece sheet sets and duvet covers.  I am hoping that their bedrooms can be cleaned up before the holidays are over, but I won't hold my breath.

I bought some new facial cleanser and tinted moisturiser which I am really enjoying using.  With skin that is rapidly aging, as well as having acne... well, lets just say it has been extremely difficult to find products that suit both conditions.  Wearing a tinted moisturiser has encouraged me to wear a bit of makeup on a semi regular basis - which is also something I used to really enjoy, but have lost the enthusiasm for.  As a bit of a treat today, I had my hair cut and highlights put through... so I really am feeling GOOD!  I have also had a chance over the last few days to catch up with good friends and family, so I don't know, it's just been really good.  Isn't that nice?